Choice
by mundane-pansycakes
Summary: What exactly happened on Natalie Prior's Choosing Day? Possibly multi-chapter, not positive yet.
1. Chapter 1

I run against the wind, the cool breeze whipping my long hair behind me. The loud wail of the approaching train sounds and the corners of my lips rise in anticipation. "Keep up!" I call back, twisting my head slightly to look at the other group of Dauntless kids ready for their Choosing Ceremony. All prepared to stay true to their faction, to come back to their home and jump off buildings like they usually do. Like _I _usually do. But soon I'll have to change.

"Shut up, Nat!" my friend Joanne calls, pumping her arms to get closer. I've always been one of the fastest at Dauntless, but it's only because I love the rush of adrenaline I get every time I push myself harder. I see the train approaching and I quickly time it out in my head, then dash towards the perfect position to jump on. The flash of black passes me and I lunge forward, my hand wrapping around the dark pole. Using all my strength, I pull the rest of my body up, safely landing inside the train. Joanne falls in after me, the other Dauntless flooding the car behind her.

"You're probably going to be on top during initiation," she tells me, knowing all too well how fearless I can be. I just shrug, acting as if I don't care for her sake. I can't lead her on. Not when I've already made my choice.

I look out the window at the Dauntless compound for one last time, knowing what lies behind the walls. The chasm, the pit, all the places I love too much. The tattoo parlor that I've visited countless times with my friend. The bedroom I shared with Joanne where she pierced my ears for me. And the training room that I've walked past so many times and wondered when it would be my turn to stand in their and show off my skills. I now know that the answer is never.

The compound is out of sight and soon enough I see the familiar, tall Hub rising in the distance. All the other Dauntless start to stand up, getting ready to jump as I watch the kids file into the building. Slowly the train car empties and I'm left alone to jump. My last time jumping off the Dauntless train, my last act of bravery. My final moment of selfishness. I want to savor it, to enjoy it, to drag it on and on until I'm sick of it. But I can't. I have to act fast so I don't miss my stop, and there's no time to say goodbye. I quickly bend my knees and fling myself out of the car, tucking my head as I hit the ground and roll. I stand up and smile lightly at Joanne, who seems confused as to why I was last off. She brushes it off and turns towards the building, staying at my side.

We pile into the Hub, racing to the twentieth floor as fast as possible. When we get to the top, we find our place in the alphabetical line at the back with the other 16 year olds. I look ahead and see my parents in Dauntless black smiling at me, proud of their girl growing up. I don't even want to think about their faces, how destroyed they'll be, when I choose.

I don't even realize it when the first name is called, starting with the end of the alphabet and working it's way up. Most of the teens choose their faction, but a few brave souls go with the place they're meant to be. The first boy to transfer is an Erudite named Andrew, who switches to Abnegation. Maybe I'll get to know him sometime, considering very few every transfer there—we might even be the only two Abnegation transfers this year for all I Dauntless cheer when a Candor boy transfers to our side, while the Amity smile gratefully when a girl joins their faction.

Joanne is called up and turns her head back to me, smiling excitedly, before heading to the front of the room where Marcus stands with a knife in his hand. She easily slices her hand, whipping it out over the steaming coals and smiling proudly. The Dauntless applaud once again, happy to keep such an enthusiastic Dauntless with them.

"Natalie Martin," I hear, the words echoing in my head. I must've missed the last few names leading up to mine; it seems as if I'm called to quickly. I take a deep breath and walk down the path leading towards the circle of bowls, all with different items filling them. I can feel my friends and family smiling proudly at me, their looks burning into my back and making me shiver. They know me too well; I'm the brave, energetic girl who's Dauntless to the core.

Marcus hands me the knife and I slowly cut my hand, a clean line of red rising to the surface. I think about the aptitude test, what the woman had told me. _You are Divergent_. I still don't understand it. I don't know why it makes this so difficult. So_dangerous_. "I'm sorry," I murmur almost inaudibly as I place my hand shakily over the gray stones, my blood sliding into the metal bowl. I have to choose the safest way out. I am not brave anymore. I am selfless.


	2. Chapter 2

** I decided to continue the story due to so many requests to! **

My whole body feels numb as I watch the factions exit the Hub, one by one. They all cheer with courage, talk with honesty, blabber with intelligence, or smile peacefully. And then there's the Abnegation, a gray blur of quiet, frozen people, standing in the center of the room, waiting.

Once everybody leaves, the Abnegation soundlessly travel down the steps, leaving the elevator for the others, until we reach the bottom. A lot of the initiates look winded from the long descent, but my Dauntless training made the stairs a piece of cake–just not Dauntless cake.

Out of all the faction transfers, only one other joined the selfless. His blue shirt glows against the gray, whereas my own black one just melts right into it. I walk up to him, careful not to step in front of anyone–though they'd probably just step aside generously. "Andrew, right?" I ask, hoping that's not too selfish of a question. I want to be a good Abnegation member, but I'll never care enough.

The boy turns to me and smiles, his blue-rimmed glasses sliding down his nose. "Yeah," he sighs. "And you are?"

A couple of Stiffs turn to us at the sound of voices, but they're all too kind to tell us to stop it.

"Natalie," I nod. "So, why'd you transfer? I mean don't the Erudite hate Abnegation? Or were you just not smart enough?" I try to joke with him, but I'm worried he'll just think I'm stupid.

He laughs slightly, "I'm not completely sure. I mean, I got an aptitude for it, and I hate a lot of people in Erudite, but I never thought I'd actually transfer. But standing there with the knife, in front of everybody, blood on your hands–it made the choice for me." He shrugs and runs a hand through his dark, shaggy hair. "But the real question is why did _you _transfer? I mean, a Dauntless going Stiff? You don't hear about that too many times."

I fiddle with my shirt, clinging to my body, marking me as a transfer. I know I can't tell Andrew about my Divergence, but I really want to. Maybe when we're alone, but for now I settle on, "I don't know. I just wasn't very good at it. Too scary for me." _Says the girl who could probably win a Bravest of the Year award._

"Really? You don't strike me as the scared type."

"Well, you know what they say . . . " I fade out, trying to think of what they _do _say. I just change the subject instead. "So, do you have any family members?"

"Uh, yeah. My mom, Edith and my dad, Daniel," he murmurs, obviously still unhappy with his choice of betraying them. "You?"

"Just my mom," I sigh. I remember her words to me when she found out I was Divergent. I wasn't supposed to tell anybody, but I've never kept anything from her. She looked me in the eyes, the same pale shade of green as mine, and whispered, _"You have to leave. Go to Abnegation and stay quiet. They can't find you there." _I had started crying by then, horrified by the idea of leaving her. _"Be brave, Natalie_," she had told me before the Choosing Ceremony. It takes a lot of courage to leave everything you love behind.

"What happened to your dad?" he asks as we walk along the streets in a neat little line. He has to twist his head to face me, but he doesn't seem to mind. In fact, I think he's even smiling.

"He died," I shug. It's not uncommon for the Dauntless to die. Our-their life expectancy is somewhere in the mid-forties. They usually die jumping of a building or falling off a train or something like that. "Most Dauntless do."

"Oh," he says, probably thinking about his own parents dying.

"Excuse me," Somebody calls from in front of the group, stopping the line from proceeding. He has short, black hair and is smiling at all of us in his gray, unflattering suit. "I would like to thank you all for joining our faction. Until you pass your initiation, you will be staying in one of these lovely dormitories." He gestures to the building on our left, a small brick one that blends in with all the others. It doesn't look like the faction is one for individuality. "As you might know, our initiation is the shortest of the factions. It should only take a day or two, and then you will all be members." I turn to Andrew, confused, who gives me a similar look back. I've never heard about Abnegation initiation, but presumed it would at least take a week.

I timidly raise my hand and the man nods at me. "Umm...what exactly is initiation like?" I ask.

He smiles a gentle smile. "Oh, it's quite easy. But I must not share that information. However, I will let you know that it is not something you need to worry about," he informs me, then turns back to the whole group. "Now, if you will all pair up and choose a room, that would be lovely. Dinner will be at 6 on the main level."

I look towards Andrew hesitantly and find him already staring back at me.


End file.
